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Tuesday, 31 May 2011

Cosmetics & Beauty News May 2011

Be Outspoken with the Black Eyed Peas

Following the successful launch of Black Eyed Peas singer Fergie's first Avon fragrance, Outspoken, last August, her newest, named Outspoken Intense, is due out this summer. Fergie says, “I had so much fun developing and launching my first fragrance with Avon, so for my second fragrance, I really wanted to add a little more edge. Outspoken Intense is a provocative blend of sexy confidence and daring femininity that captures the thrill and excitement of being centre stage. You feel an instant electrifying rush—a feeling like no other.”

Updo in two

Never sure what to do with your hair? Look no further - esteemed hairdresser Andrew Collinge has launched a hairstyling app for your phone named Two-Minute Up-Do, which showcases two-minute videos that show you how to do everything from chignons to plaits, and of course allow you to pause and rewind so that you can master the techniques. With each video costing £1.19, all proceeds go to the charity of which Andrew is a patron, Design For Life, which aims to transform the lives of those with learning difficulties. Debenhams have also launched their free Beauty Club iPhone app recently, which provides expert advice, hints and tips as well as allowing you to shop online and scan barcodes in store for instant product reviews.

Getting fresh

Just for summer, L'Oreal Paris has added a range of new colours to its lipsticks, giving you plenty of fresh and tropical shades to choose from for the sunshine. As well as cocktail-inspired colours that remind you of ice pops, the lipsticks also contain vitamins C and E, so that your lips can be protected as well as glamorous. Starting at £7.65, they're affordable as well. Myface.cosmetics has also released new jewel-like nail varnish shades which include shades entitled 'pink champagne' and 'tequila sunrise'.

Vegetarian Society approved

Life as a vegetarian is not easy, whether it comes down to putting in those extra hours at the stove, coping with people's withering stares and comments, or just REALLY REALLY wanting a Haribo. But life just got a little bit easier, as the Vegetarian Society's list of approved cosmetics companies is beginning to grow - the Organic Pharmacy can now flaunt its anti-animal-testing and animal-ingredient-free policy by using the official VegSoc logo. Hats off to a brand that is supporting a sustainable, healthy and cruelty-free lifestyle.

Wedding fever

Summer approaching means not only getting your body bikini ready (perhaps with Boots' bestselling £18.95 NIP + FAB Tummy Fix) and sorting out a tan, but also quite likely a lot of weddings to go to. A perfect accompaniment to your new wedding handbag is Lanvin's aptly named Marry Me, which contains jasmine, sweet peach, magnolia, and Tunisian bitter orange. At £61 for 75ml it's not exactly cheap, but you'll definitely give Kate Middleton a run for her money wearing this. For men whose girlfriends still haven't come down from Royal Wedding fever, there's always Ralph Lauren's new POLO Red, White and Blue, which contains apple, lavender and cucumber scents along with musks and white woods (£41/75ml).

Handbag essentials

Impulse and Barry M have teamed up to create a trio of indispensable trousses for the summer that pair luscious lip glosses with much-loved scents. Into Glamour comes with a vanilla clear lip gloss, Very Pink is for fans of strawberry, and Tease completes the collection with a nude caramel gloss. Available at a bargainous £3, you can pick up yours at Tesco, Superdrug or Boots from now until June 6th.

Find a beautician right from Bianca's Beauty Blog

Betterfly, the largest directory of beauticians in the US, has just launched a widget which allows my US readers to find a local beautician right from this site - look to the toolbar on the right. There's no UK version yet, but keep your eyes peeled and fingers crossed.

And the winner is...

Among the many recipients of the latest CEW (Cosmetic Executive Women) Awards- the Oscars of the beauty industry - is Liz Earle, for the brand's Botanical Shine Shampoo, as well as winning the Best British Brand Award and being finalists in the Best Classic Beauty Product: Prestige (Cleanse & Polish), Best New Bath & Body: Prestige (Energising Body Lotion), and Best New Skincare Treatment Product: Prestige (Superskin Eye and Lip Treatment) categories. The company's Try-Me kits give you the chance to test all these in perfect travel sizes, just as another set goes on sale - Ellis Faas' Summer Gift Set, which for €65 gives you Bronze Light E303 for eyes, Bronze Blush S303 for cheeks, and Glazed Lips L309. Available from June 1st.

Chocolate, coffee, sex, or...lipgloss...

U.S. women say they would rather give up coffee, chocolate and sex for one week than their favourite beauty product, a survey indicates. The TNS survey of 1,321 U.S. adult women, commissioned by L'Bel USA, indicates U.S. women are more likely to let airline security take a pair of beloved shoes and/or jeans than give up their favorite skincare and/or makeup item. Seventy-six percent of women report they carry a make-up/skincare related product in their purse regularly and 63 percent say they carry lipstick/lip gloss regularly. Sixty percent of women say their "must-have" beauty product when they go out at night is lipstick/lip gloss, while 17 percent say lotion, 12 percent say fragrance, 9 percent say foundation/concealer and 6 percent say mascara. However, when women want to pamper themselves, 25 percent say they would use their paycheck to splurge on fragrance, 12 percent say foundation/concealer and 10 percent say lotion.

Summer miracles

Summer is most definitely my least favourite season - if you're too warm there's so little you can do about it compared with being too cold, you have to concentrate so much more on making sure you are always waxed to perfection, and you can barely sleep at night due to the heat and light. But to make the season more bearable, you can get rid of mosquito bites with the £4.99 Zap-It!, which uses mild electrical impulses to help fight the urge to scratch by reducing histamine flow; going for £5.99 GOSH semi-permanent eyeliner at Superdrug for eye makeup that won't come off after a swim and is fashionable too (Extreme Art comes in ten shades, including glittery varieties); and keeping the oatmeal, shea butter and eucalyptus-rich First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream on hand for all possible mishaps (the cream, from £8, can be used as a facial moisturiser, as an antiseptic, and as an antidote for shaving or nappy rash as well as dermatitis and eczema).

Take it like a man

And it's not only women who need to bother keeping themselves looking and feeling good come summer: there are so many decent men's products out there that there's really no excuse. One such range is Manatomicals, which will be available at Waitrose and Boots from August and whose ever so slightly witty packaging stops the whole proceeding from getting too serious. Life's serious enough as it is - why should the bathroom be?

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About Me

As a teacher, blogger, freelance translator, sometime student of Italian, onetime NaNoWriMo contestant and generally obsessive reader and writer, I think it's safe to say that language is my life. My side interests include documentaries, not tidying, and Double Stuf Oreos.